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I have this "overenthusiastic" orchid since a couple of years, and it just keeps growing and flowering throughout the entire year.

Sometime it gets over 50 or 60 flowers and I don't really know how to balance it.

Any suggestions on how to proceed? I couldn't find a larger orchid pot (the white plastic thing) either. I also would like to know why it's leaves go into the one direction and the flowers into the other.

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    That's a problem I'd like to face. Did you get it somewhere special? It looks really nice. The imbalance however is perfectly due to its nature. The roots sit on some branch, the leaves shoot straight up, and the flowers bloom on a descending beam. They're only pulled up for ornamental purposes.
    – dakab
    Feb 19, 2017 at 7:02
  • Unfortunately I don't remember where I got it. How do I prevent the stems from breaking due to the weight of the flowers? Feb 19, 2017 at 9:52

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Lots of orchids are epiphytes, with their roots twining round the bark, their layered leaves building up, and the flowering stem pointing in any direction (up towards the light, sideways, even down, especially when mature and load-bearing with buds and blossom).

Some people try to move their orchids into a more natural position and use a hanging basket like this:

red-flowered orchid in a hanging basket Image copyright: Maja Dumat / Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-2.0)

That way, you can still put it near the window (freeing shelf space) and relieving the boughs by letting them dangle. A healthy plant’s stem won’t break that way. Furthermore, the aerial roots expose more surface area to catch humidity from the ambient air. Also, you can use a wire or thread (anchored at the top hook) to suspend the beam to your needs.

If you prefer leaving it in its pot, keep looking for a larger pot (> 20 cm seems to be rare) to have a firm balance point, and use climbing aids or small trellises like this one or that one. You can also build one yourself, so material and shape blend in with your surroundings. With it, you easily support the flowering stem while maintaining control of the direction of growth.

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